Newsletter: SCOTUS Unloads Multiple Gun Cases

The Supreme Court docket of the US (SCOTUS) went into overdrive on weapons this week, handing down a number of consequential choices we’ve been ready months to see.

In Mexico’s $10 billion legal responsibility case towards Smith and Wesson over cartel violence, SCOTUS delivered a unanimous ruling. It tossed the case in its first determination, weighing in on the protect supplied to the gun business by the Safety of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).

Within the pair of {hardware} ban instances that the Court docket had relisted for consideration 15 occasions, although, the result was fairly completely different. It declined to listen to a problem to Rhode Island’s journal ban and confiscation legislation. It additionally denied a request to listen to the case towards Maryland’s AR-15 gross sales ban. However, as I clarify for members, statements supplied up on the latter case give new perception into the place the Court docket would possibly in the end come down on the constitutionality of these sorts of bans.

We additionally noticed gun gross sales tick down once more in Could, as reported by our new summer time intern from the Nationwide Journalism Middle. Citigroup backed off its post-Parkland gun insurance policies underneath stress from President Donald Trump’s administration. Lawyer Common Pam Bondi despatched a letter to PA officers demanding that extra counties course of out-of-state gun carry allow purposes. Oh, and I clarify what Texas is doing with sawed-off shotguns.

Plus, Gun Homeowners of America’s Sam Paredes joins the podcast to elucidate how his group’s authorized struggle with the ATF led the company so as to add extra CCW permits to the Brady various checklist. And we’ve obtained a number of different tales from exterior The Reload down within the hyperlinks, together with a federal ruling on Colorado’s age restrictions.

Supreme Court docket Unanimously Tosses Mexico’s Swimsuit In opposition to Smith & WessonBy Stephen Gutowski

American gun makers will not be accountable for cartel violence carried out with their merchandise in Mexico.

That’s the conclusion of a unanimous ruling the Supreme Court docket of the US (SCOTUS) handed down on Thursday. The Court docket dominated Mexico’s authorities failed to indicate the actions of Smith & Wesson or the opposite named gun firms aided and abetted Mexican criminals of their efforts to illegally acquire weapons. It concluded that meant the nation’s $10 billion legal responsibility swimsuit was barred from transferring ahead by the Safety of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which prevents fits designed to carry gun firms accountable for the legal acts of third events they weren’t instantly concerned in.

“The sorts of allegations Mexico makes can’t fulfill the calls for of the statute’s predicate exception,” Justice Elana Kagan wrote for the Court docket in Mexico v. Smith and Wesson. “That exception permits a swimsuit to be introduced towards a gun producer that has aided and abetted a firearms violation (and in so doing proximately prompted the plaintiff’s hurt). And Mexico’s grievance, for the explanations given, doesn’t plausibly allege such aiding and abetting. So this swimsuit stays topic to PLCAA’s common bar: An motion can’t be introduced towards a producer if, like Mexico’s, it’s based on a 3rd occasion’s legal use of the corporate’s product.”

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SCOTUS Declines AR-15, Journal Ban Instances Whereas Kavanaugh Guarantees Motion QuicklyBy Stephen Gutowski

The Supreme Court docket of the US (SCOTUS) rejected two main Second Modification challenges on Monday.

In its morning order checklist, SCOTUS denied certiorari in Snope v. Brown and Ocean State Tactical v. Rhode Island. These had been appeals of decrease courtroom rulings upholding Maryland’s AR-15 gross sales ban and Rhode Island’s journal capability limits, respectively. Whereas the Court docket had relisted the pair of instances 15 occasions earlier than in the end denying them, the one rationalization supplied by any of the Justices stated extra time is required for the Excessive Court docket to resolve the problems.

“Opinions from different Courts of Appeals ought to help this Court docket’s final decisionmaking on the AR–15 difficulty,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a press release on the Snope denial. “Extra petitions for certiorari will seemingly be earlier than this Court docket shortly and, in my opinion, this Court docket ought to and presumably will handle the AR–15 difficulty quickly, within the subsequent Time period or two.”

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Evaluation: Did SCOTUS Simply Tip Its Hand on AR-15 Bans? [Member Exclusive]By Stephen Gutowski

A number of of the actions the Supreme Court docket took on weapons this week might present the place it’s going to finish up on “assault weapons” bans.

Actually, denying cert in Snope v. Brown gives probably the most simple message: the Court docket isn’t in a rush to rule. However a number of strains from that denial, in addition to one from the Court docket’s ruling in Mexico v. Smith and Wesson, present some perception into the intentions of a majority of justices.

Most significantly, we now have a press release from one of many justices who voted to disclaim Snope’s problem to Maryland’s ban on the sale of AR-15s and comparable firearms.

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Citigroup Reverses Put up-Parkland Gun Coverage Below Strain From TrumpBy Jake Fogleman

One of many nation’s largest monetary establishments is reversing course on its stance towards the firearms business.

Citigroup introduced on Tuesday that the financial institution was ending its seven-year-old U.S. Industrial Firearms Coverage that restricted its providers to companies that promote bump shares, “high-capacity” magazines, or firearms to adults underneath the age of 21. The corporate stated it was doing so in response to regulatory developments, President Donald Trump’s current govt orders, and political issues about “truthful entry” to banking providers.

“We’ll now not have a selected coverage because it pertains to firearms,” Ed Skyler, Citigroup’s Govt Vice President of Enterprise Providers and Public Affairs, wrote in a submit explaining the coverage change.

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DOJ Tells PA Sheriffs to Begin Issuing Hid Carry Permits to Non-ResidentsBy Stephen Gutowski

Lawyer Common Pam Bondi (R.) desires Pennsylvania sheriffs to difficulty hid carry permits to certified non-residents.

In a letter to Pennsylvania Lawyer Common David Sunday (R.) and Pennsylvania Sheriffs Affiliation president Sean Kilkenny (D.), Bondi argued some sheriffs’ refusal to difficulty the permits violates non-residents’ gun rights. She warned the apply could lead on the Division of Justice (DOJ) to intervene.

“This apply is illegal underneath Pennsylvania legislation,” Bondi wrote final month. “It additionally raises severe issues underneath the Second Modification, which ensures the best to bear arms in public, in addition to the Privileges and Immunities Clause, which prohibits discriminating towards out-of-state residents by denying them the train of basic rights.”

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Gun Gross sales Proceed Decline in CouldBy Benjamin Owen

The variety of FBI background checks related to gun gross sales fell once more final month, in response to a brand new business report.

Gun sales-related background checks declined 1.6 p.c year-over-year in Could. That’s the topline conclusion of the Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis’s (NSSF) newest evaluation. The NSSF discovered that the variety of Nationwide On the spot Legal Background Test System (NICS) checks fell from 1.089 million in Could 2024 to 1.071 million in Could 2025, making this Could the worst-performing Could for the gun business since 2019.

The decline comes because the gun market has been in an general downward pattern within the gun market all through 2025, as gross sales proceed to say no to pre-pandemic ranges. The market noticed year-over-year declines in checks throughout February, March, and April. February was the second-worst-performing February within the final 13 years, with gross sales declining by 9 p.c. 2025’s first quarter was the worst of the previous 5 years as checks fell close to pre-pandemic ranges. 

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Podcast: GOA’s Sam Paredes on the ATF Altering Course of Background Test Bypass PermitsBy Stephen Gutowski

This week, we’re speaking about an under-discussed a part of federal gun legislation and a big current replace to it.

GOA’s Sam Paredes joins the podcast to stroll via the years-long authorized struggle. He lays out how GOA plans to foyer states to alter their legal guidelines to qualify for the choice standing. He additionally stated GOA plans to file follow-up fits to get ATF to acknowledge much more permits.

You possibly can hearken to the present in your favourite podcasting app or by clicking right here. Video of the episode is obtainable on our YouTube channel.

Plus, the Tenth Circuit guidelines on the opposite type of home violence restraining order that triggers a gun ban. Nevertheless, it involves the identical conclusion that the Supreme Court docket did in US v. Rahimi: the ban doesn’t violate the Second Modification. The ATF additionally introduced two vital strikes, one changing their “zero tolerance” supplier inspection coverage and one other increasing “Brady permits.”

Audio right here. Video right here.

Evaluation: What Does Texas ‘Legalizing’ Sawed-Off Shotguns Truly Accomplish? [Member Exclusive]By Stephen Gutowski

This week, the Texas legislature made a curious transfer on gun coverage.

They despatched SB 1596, a short-barrel shotgun and rifle legalization invoice, to Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s desk, the place he’s more likely to signal it. However that legalization is much less expansive than individuals would possibly assume. That’s as a result of it solely impacts state legislation, and Texans will nonetheless need to adjust to federal short-barrel firearm rules.

Nevertheless, it might find yourself as one thing greater than a symbolic act due to what’s happening in Congress. And it’s an initiative gun-rights activists might want to recreate in quite a few different states if they need silencer deregulation to stay.

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Exterior The Reload

Choose upholds Colorado’s under-21 firearm buy ban | Courthouse Information Service | By Gabriel Tynes

Nevada governor vetoes invoice banning underneath 21s from proudly owning sure weapons | KOLO | By Kevin Sheridan

NSSF Comes Out Swinging In opposition to Proposed ATF, DEA Merger | Bearing Arms | By Cam Edwards

Failed ‘Assault Rifle’ Ban Was The Sufferer Of Convoluted Politics | Honolulu Civil Beat | By Kevin Dayton

How U.S. Gun Tradition Unfold to a Distant Island within the Baltic Sea | New York Occasions | By Thomas Gibbons-Neff

Georgia Supreme Court docket maintains state restrictions on gun carry for adults underneath 21 | Atlanta Voice | By Dave Williams

Gov. Jared Polis indicators payments growing penalty for gun theft in Colorado | Colorado Politics | By Marissa Ventrelli

That’s it for this week in weapons.

If you wish to hear professional evaluation of those tales and extra, ensure you seize a Reload membership to get our unique evaluation e-newsletter each Sunday!

I’ll see you all subsequent week.

Thanks,Stephen GutowskiFounderThe Reload